The thought of polo might evoke images of swimmers grasping desperately for a ball, thrashing around in a large indoor pool. However, for Reagan Barron, the sport of polo is much, much different.
Barron serves as the president of UI’s polo club, and not the water kind. Barron and his fellow teammates spend their days out in Troy, galloping across an arena on horseback, swinging large wooden mallets in attempt to score.
“I often find it difficult to describe polo to beginners because it is so different than all other sports. It is one of those games that you need to just see for yourself to understand,” he said. “I have found that the best way to explain polo is to describe it as hockey on horses. In reality, there are many differences between hockey and polo, but this compari- son helps beginners visualize the sport.”
According to Barron, polo operates in two basic forms: indoor and outdoor. He acknowledged that most people might immediately think of outdoor polo, perhaps on a manicured lawn next to a country club. However, Barron said Idaho’s team, as well as all intercollegiate polo teams, play indoors.
“The main game play is the same – just in an arena,” he said. “At the end of the day, the main point of the game is to get the ball in the other team’s goal.”
Meanwhile, fellow teammate Riley Harris, a junior at UI, said he was intimi- dated at first when he was introduced to the sport’s complicated rules and obvious challenge: trying to pass and score while atop a horse.
Harris said after learning of UI’s club, he decided to give it a shot. “I had explained that I had been on a horse a handful of times before but I knew the basics of what I was doing,” Harris said. “I think my over-confidence got the better of me when I found myself laying on the ground with my horse freely running away from me within the first ten minutes of practice.”
His brief escapade into being unseated by a horse did not deter him from persisting. After dusting himself off, Harris said he quickly found the thrill.
“I think what got me hooked is the sheer joy and excitement of riding these incredibly athletic horses with a goal in mind,” he said. “I can’t compare the feeling of flying down the field on top of a horse to any other feeling. By the end of first practice I knew that was something I was going to stick with.”
Harris agreed with Barron regarding polo’s complicated rules. Many of the regulations exist to help improve both player and horse safety, such as right of way rules and multiple penalties for overly-aggressive play.
Harris, however, said he enjoyed learning the set of rules, and his quick learning soon became an advantage he held over newer players. Now, he says he’s ready to pass on that understanding to younger players.
Barron on the other hand, said he thought his sister’s background in horse riding might give him a leg up in competitions. After a crash course on how to play, he said he quickly took to the sport, and made his way to the top.
Now, Barron said he is pleased with the way his defensive game has improved, which he owes all to the experience the club gave him over the years.
“For me, my biggest strength in the game is my defense,” he said. “Since I have been playing for three years now, I know the game well and I am good at visualizing where I need to be to stop the other team from scoring a goal.”
While the team technically has an official coach, Barron due to distance and time con- flicts, their coach is unable to attend some practices. In those instances, Barron takes the reigns.
“At the beginning of practices, we divide up so that there are at least 1-2 people per horse and everyone tacks up a horse. It can take about a half an hour to an hour for all the horses to get ready.”
Harris said he enjoys bonding with the multiple horses on hand, adding another level of difficulty.
“Every horse is different and each have their own quirks, just knowing how to communicate with and understand a horse can improve many aspects of your game such as hitting and out maneuvering other players,” Harris said. “It is something I am always trying to improve.”
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill